IVF less cost effective in older women
According to UNSW researchers, In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is three to four times less cost-effective in women aged 40 years and over.
The paper, which is the first comprehensive costing study on the topic in Australia, has just been published in the electronic version of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).
“Debate on IVF funding has been hindered by a lack of economic studies of IVF treatments and outcomes in Australia,” said the lead author, Ms Georgina Chambers, researcher in the School of Women’s and Children’s Health.
The report, which is co-authored by Dr Tessa Ho, from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine and Dr Elizabeth Sullivan from the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, shows that the direct health care cost of non-donor IVF is $32 903 on average for each live birth. This cost rises to $182 794 for women aged 42 years and over.
The research found average costs in Australia for each IVF cycle using fresh or frozen embryos are similar to estimates from the UK and Europe, but are much less than US estimates.
“However age is not the only determinant of treatment success - other factors such as the duration of infertility are important. In making policy decisions, we need to consider community values, ethical practice and clinical factors, as well as economic costs,” said the authors.